Tue, October 18, 2011
South Korea's Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik (R) meets with Tang Jiaxuan, former state councilor of China, in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 18, 2011. (Xinhua/He Lulu)
SEOUL, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to make efforts to push forward the strategic cooperative partnership with South Korea so as to benefit peoples of the two countries and contribute to regional peace and development, former China's State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said here Tuesday.
Tang, on a visit in Seoul for attending a regional forum to discuss peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia, made the remarks during a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik.
Tang said China and South Korea are close neighbors, and China always adopts a strategic and long-term policy to promote the bilateral relations.
The two countries will step on a new historic starting point as they will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries next year.
China is willing to further expand exchanges and cooperation with South Korea in all areas, and make more efforts to push forward China-South Korea strategic cooperative partnership to benefit peoples of the two countries and contribute to regional peace and development, Tang said.
On his part, Kim said Seoul attaches great importance to its relations with China. He said the 20-year long diplomatic relations mean the bilateral ties between the two sides have grown to adulthood.
Kim said his country is willing to work together with China to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, cultural and other areas to achieve constant development of the strategic cooperative partnership with China.
The two sides also exchanged views on serious issues such as situation of the Korean Peninsula and trilateral cooperation among China, Japan and South Korea.
The forum, titled "For new era of peace and common prosperity in Northeast Asia," will kick off here on Wednesday. Tang will make a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.
South Korea's Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik (R) meets with Tang Jiaxuan, former state councilor of China, in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 18, 2011. (Xinhua/He Lulu)
